Trailing by two points with 10 seconds left, the Eastern women’s basketball team ran a play where it’d have three good shooting options.

Junior guard Ta’Kenya Nixon came off a screen from junior guard Kelsey Wyss, who then popped out from a screen by Mariah King. Nixon had to choose between passing it outside to Wyss or tossing it to King on the roll into the paint.

Nixon didn’t see an option she wanted, head coach Brady Sallee said, so she went up for the shot. Missouri’s Bailey Gee blocked Nixon’s shot and the Tigers got the rebound and the win, 56-54.

“It was one play that didn’t work out in our favor,” Sallee said. “They were just two free throws better than us.”

The Tigers converted two free throws with 16 seconds left to take the lead over the Panthers. The two teams went back and forth all game until Missouri sealed it with the free throws.

“I’m not sure who had to stack up with who,” Sallee said. “I’m not sure they were better than us. We were one play short tonight.”

While shutting down many of Missouri’s players, forward Christine Flores went off playing all but one minute in the game and finishing with a triple-double. Flores had 25 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks. Add to that, Flores had five steals.

“She’s probably an all-league caliber player,” Sallee said.

Other than Flores, the Panthers shutout two of Missouri’s starters. Gee, the player with the game-saving block, went scoreless. Guard Kyley Simmons also went scoreless.

Eastern junior forward Mariah King played a major part in holding the Tigers’ second leading scorer to seven points.

“Mariah basically fouled her out,” Sallee said.

King scored a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Nixon matched her with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“They carried us,” Sallee said. “That’s one of the tougher parts. We’ve been having four to five people in double figures. It’s hard to beat a team when you’re not firing on all cylinders.”

King and Nixon were the only two Panthers in double figures. Freshman forward Sabina Oroszova was next with eight points.

Nixon was the best guard on the floor, Sallee said.

After Monday’s game against Western Illinois, Sallee said his team felt they could beat Missouri as they did in Lantz Arena last season.

Sallee said the team gave a lot of effort in Wednesday night’s game.

With both teams playing well, Sallee said all of the hype leading up to the game didn’t matter after the game started.

“All the hype and bologna gets (players) help in practice,” Sallee said. “But once the ball goes up in the air all that bologna goes out.”

The Panthers next game is 4 p.m. Saturday against Indiana State in Lantz Arena.

Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].